The Dallas Cowboys aren’t done tinkering when it comes to their wide receivers room, bringing in a talented local college prospect for a closer look.
“Cowboys working out former SMU and (Miami) wide receiver Romello Brinson today, per a league source,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Monday.
Brinson, 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, had career highs across the board with SMU in his final college season with 43 receptions for 638 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Cowboys followed that up by signing Brinson on Monday morning.
“Cowboys added Romello Brinson, reuniting the UDFA with former Mustangs receiver Jordan Hudson,” Cowboys reporter Joseph Hoyt wrote on X. “Second year in a row Cowboys have two UDFAs from the same school. Last year they did it with Alijah Clark and Justin Barron. Cowboys have two open roster spots.”
Brinson earned some praise from 1 key insider before the 2026 NFL draft.
“Brinson is a field-stretcher, but the middle of his route tree is missing branches,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “He’s a long-strider with good acceleration to build speed and create opportunities for himself on vertical routes. His route-running is less effective on intermediate routes, where he’s slower in and out of breaks. Despite his catch radius and hand size, he wins fewer 50/50 balls than he should when coverage closes him down. Brinson has traits to work with but offers a more limited menu of services for teams.”
Brinson also has an interesting NFL connection in his family — he’s the cousin of 6-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Romello Brinson’s Career Took Off After Transfer
Brinson starred at legendary Miami (Fla.) Northwestern High School before landing with the Hurricanes, where he struggled to see the field in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to SMU.
After just 14 receptions for 189 yards and 1 touchdown over his 1st 2 seasons at Miami, Brinson busted out in his 1st season at SMU with 28 receptions for 431 yards and 2 touchdowns in 14 games. He was on track for another big year in 2024, but a knee injury forced him to the sideline after 6 games as the Mustangs made a surprise run to the College Football Playoff.
From Pro Football Focus’ Pre-Draft Report: “Brinson’s slender build and lack of NFL-caliber athleticism mean that, to stick in the league as a ‘Z’ receiver, he will need to significantly improve his catch consistency both in contested situations and on routine targets.”
Cowboys Already Signed 1 UDFA SMU WR
The Cowboys already have 1 promising UDFA wide receiver from SMU with them for the offseason, at least, with Jordan Hudson.
Hudson received a big heaping of praise from Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, who put the former SMU star and All-ACC pick on his list of the NFL’s “Most Exciting” undrafted free agents just 2 months out from training camp.
“Hudson had far and away the best season of his collegiate career last year at SMU — the 6’1″ 191-pounder hauled in 61 catches for 766 and six touchdowns on the way to third-team All-ACC honors,” Davenport wrote. “In last year’s overtime upset of Miami, he posted 11 catches for 136 yards. Despite a lack of elite size or speed, Hudson is a physical wideout who holds his own in contested-catch situations. He also possesses plus hands. But like so many wide receivers entering the NFL, he needs to improve his route tree, and he can struggle to separate due to a lack of explosiveness and high-end speed. Hudson is going to be something of a project, but there are tools to work with.”
Cowboys Sign 6-foot-2, 190-Pound ‘Field Stretcher’ WR